On countless nights over the past few months, I have found myself walking back and forth from my home, completely distraught by the amount of division the 2024 election has caused in the Muslim community.
I lived in Kenya until 2020. I remember being arrested by police in Nairobi and staying up at night to help Somali refugees seeking better healthcare and education. I am no stranger to division and what it can do to us. My aunt was a small business owner in Nairobi who always opened her home to people in need, regardless of ethnicity or background. She raised me and taught me the importance of caring for others and using our voices to address injustice.
Eventually, I moved to Minnesota to be closer to family and give my son a better life. My aunt’s lessons motivated me to join my newfound community. Even before I was eligible to vote, I began translating election materials into Somali and encouraging people to participate in civic activities.
I became a U.S. citizen in 2024 and voted in my first election this week. When I considered voting in this election, I never imagined that the people I care about would not participate completely in the election. I never imagined that other East African men would be attracted to a presidential candidate who spreads violence, hatred, and punishment against Muslims and immigrants. I never imagined that members of my community would advise others not to vote strategically in such a critical election.
Meanwhile, I think about my 5-year-old son. I think about the future I want for him, about Minnesota and the country I want him to grow up in. The prosperous planet I want him to live on, the house I want him to be able to afford when he grows up, the education I receive. I want him to accept it. The last thing I want him to experience is an Islamophobic attack.
And I think of those who try to spread fear of immigrants like us.
As attacks on Gaza continue, it is no secret that many in my community feel a deep sense of confusion, helplessness, and hopelessness regarding this election. I worry that with so much attention focused on the presidential election, we will lose sight of the impact that participating in state and local elections can have.
Don’t get me wrong. That’s exactly where MAGA Republicans and a few wealthy people want us. This is why I want to propose a better path for Muslim voters in Minnesota. A path to building political power that ends genocide in the Middle East and holds elected leaders accountable for realizing the priorities of Minnesota’s Muslim communities.
There are no shortcuts on this path. It starts, but doesn’t end, by participating, organizing, and claiming your voice as a voter in this election.
But first, I want to empathize with my fellow Muslims who are wondering whether or how to participate in this election. Many of us have been taught to think that voting is nothing more than a declaration of our principles, that our vote is the ultimate indicator of the purity of our ethics, or lack thereof. Ta. By this logic, we are supposed to find a candidate we 100% agree with (if such a thing even exists) and vote for him to become president. Once we get there, they will come to save us and our job will be done – that’s how the story goes.
There’s so much hand-wringing about perfect and imperfect candidates that it’s easy to forget who this election is actually about.
us.
You heard it. It’s about us. Some may become emotional and consider abandoning their vote. But we need to step into the political arena to make change and assert our power, not leave it behind. This election is about showing up, shaping the political landscape from the ground up, and building the power to win the future we deserve. It was never about electing a savior who would do everything for us.
Some may become emotional and consider abandoning their vote. But we need to step into the political arena to make change and assert our power, not leave it behind.
As Minnesota voters in this election, we have the opportunity not only to reject fascism and Islamophobia at the federal level, but also to make Minnesota a place where everyone can thrive, no matter what they look like or where they come from. Focusing only on the top of the ticket limits our ability to create change where we live.
The proof is in the progress Minnesota has made in recent years. Muslim voters were critical to electing the DFL trifecta at the state level in 2022, allowing them to achieve significant gains in the 2023 legislative session. We invested an unprecedented $1 billion in affordable housing. He created the Department of Children, Youth and Families to address issues facing young people and passed universal school meals so no child would have to learn on an empty stomach.
And we know we still have a long way to go. In my community organizing efforts during this election and beyond, I have been talking to other Muslim voters about the current election.
I spoke with a Somali mother of five who was concerned about her older child’s use of opioids and was desperate for a systemic solution. I’ve listened to a group of imams who feel deeply uneasy about Gaza but also see an urgent need to address Islamophobia here in Minnesota. Many of these people had never heard of state elections, but once they did, they were excited about the idea of making a difference locally.
This election gives us the opportunity to send DFL members to the Minnesota State Capitol to help us come together to fund affordable programs for youth and culturally relevant housing. can. We can elect leaders who work with and for Muslim communities, like Abdi Deisein, who is running to address affordable housing, child care, and education. Masu.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, MAGA politicians are spreading Islamophobic rhetoric to scapegoat us and erase the progress we have made together as Minnesotans. But as Muslims, we see through all that noise. We want leaders who bring real solutions to the problems we face.
This November, we have a clear choice before us: to defeat fascism and forge a path forward before Muslims have a seat at the table. That’s up to us, not the candidates. Together, we can decide to move the ballot forward, not backward.
I feel the sadness of our Muslim brothers and sisters who cannot turn their eyes away from the devastation they see on the news. I was one of the many who worked to organize uncommitted voters in Minnesota’s Democratic presidential primary, and along with voters in other states, sent a message to President Joe Biden about the need for a ceasefire.
Now, more than ever, we must work toward a nation and world where everyone can live in safety and dignity, regardless of race or location. This will feel different from watching from the sidelines. It is necessary to hold both pain and possibility in a moment. But our strategic participation in the democratic process is a necessary first step.
